Smith still in negotiations over future – with his wife

Will he or won’t he?… While some political observers are predicting Mesa Mayor Scott Smith will soon jump into the governor’s race, the potential candidate is still publicly wishy-washy about whether he’ll run.

The Republican told Insider he’ll make an announcement about his plans in the next two weeks, saying he’s practically made up his mind, although there’s still 5 percent of his noggin that hasn’t yet decided how to proceed.

“I’ve not made up my mind 100 percent yet … only 95 percent,” he said, adding “the holidays are not totally over yet” and he needs more time to talk with family and “people that will determine which way I will go.”

Asked if his wife has blessed a run, Smith responded, “My wife and I are in ongoing discussions.”

Burned over no-burn days... The annual ban on wood- and open burning during the holidays gets a bad rap from residents who want to huddle by the fire around Christmas and New Year’s.

The state and Maricopa County launched a campaign this year asking residents to consider their neighbors’ health before lighting their logs. Winter weather conditions trap pollution close to the ground, posing health risks. Unsurprisingly, the no-burn days sparked some grumbles on the scope of government.

One resident, Debbie Kohn, took to telling county supervisors their jobs may be a stake if they continue to enforce what she called an “unfeeling policy”: “Don’t be the proverbial Grinches! It’s Christmas Eve!” she wrote in an e-mail to the Board of Supervisors. “When it comes to election time, people (including me) will definitely remember the Scrooge/Grinch behavior of the County and its Supervisors and choose a more compassionate and family-oriented candidate.”

Bustin’ (up) a move ... The National Kidney Foundation of Arizona’s Dancing With the Stars event has been a big political to-do ever since then-Sen. Scott Bundgaard.It wasn’t his dance-floor moves that got attention; it was the ensuing freeway fracas with his then-girlfriend.

This year’s roster also offered some off-stage grist for the political gossip mill; that is, until Department of Economic Security Director Clarence Carter decided not to participate. Perhaps Carter was too busy working on his two-step over the Child Protective Services fiasco to work on a routine for the theme, Night of the Big Bands. But he might get involved next year, organizers say.

Carter’s absence notwithstanding, the Feb. 7 event offers a chorus line of political players, such as state Rep. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler; Wendy Villa, chief of staff to Phoenix City Councilman Daniel Valenzuela; state land commissioner Vanessa Hickman;and Hugh Hallman, a GOP candidate for state treasurer.

Don’t touch that! ... Advice to the Legislature from the folks who run voter registration in the state’s two largest counties: Let’s not repeat last year’s election bills.

After a knock-down drag-out fight in the first half of 2013 over election-law changes, the Legislature gave last-minute approval to a wide-ranging set of changes in House Bill 2305, which promptly sent opponents to the streets with petitions in hand to refer the matter to the ballot. Voters get to decide the issue in November.

Until then, Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell said the Legislature should not try further changes. Her advice to lawmakers: If you do anything, just repeal HB 2305.

In Pima County, Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez said lawmakers should let the referendum play out.

There’s no indication that will be the case. Lawmakers wanted the changes so badly they cobbled together several disparate items — such as raising the signature requirement for third-party candidate petitions and dictating who can return a voter’s ballot — into one big bundle. Whether they’ll unbundle that and try again is one of the unanswered questions of the coming legislative session.

Headline of the week

“2013: The Year Jan Brewer Got Back on Her Meds”

— From the Wonkette blog, which applauded the governor’s policy moves such as Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System expansion and reversing a decision to not issue welfare checks during the federal-government shutdown.

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